The four parts
Sensors
Door and window contacts, motion detectors, glass-break detectors, smoke detectors and flood sensors. Each one is a small battery-powered radio transmitter.
Control panel
The keypad or touchscreen that listens for every sensor, decides whether to sound the alarm, and is where you arm and disarm.
Communicator
The part of the panel that sends alarms out of the building, over Wi-Fi (your internet) or a cellular radio.
Monitoring and app
A 24/7 monitoring center receives the alarm and can dispatch emergency services, and an app such as Total Connect shows you what is happening.
How the signals travel
When a door opens, the magnet moves away from the contact and the sensor sends a short, coded radio message to the panel. Each sensor is enrolled in the panel, so the panel knows which device spoke and where it is. Sensors also check in on a schedule, which lets the panel warn you if one stops reporting or its battery is getting low.
If the system is armed, the panel sounds the alarm and its communicator sends a signal to the monitoring center. Wi-Fi communicators use your internet connection; cellular communicators use the mobile network and keep working even if the internet is down.
Power and batteries
The control panel plugs into the wall and has a battery backup, so it keeps protecting the property during a power cut. Wireless sensors run on their own long-life batteries, and the panel reports when one needs replacing.
Arming modes
- Away
- Everything is armed: doors, windows and inside motion. Used when nobody is inside.
- Stay
- Doors and windows are armed, inside motion is off. Used at night or when people are home.
- Entry and exit delay
- A short countdown on chosen doors so you can get in and enter your code, or get out after arming.
Wireless vs wired
| Wireless | Wired | |
|---|---|---|
| Installation | No cable to each sensor; little or no drilling | Cable from every sensor back to the panel |
| Best fit | Finished homes, offices and shops | New construction and open walls |
| Changes later | Add or move devices easily | New devices need new cable runs |
| Sensor power | Battery in each sensor | Powered through the cable |
AWS's main site lists both wireless and wired security systems, so you can ask which fits your building.
General information. This page explains how wireless security systems commonly work. Equipment, placement and options for your property are decided with AWS. Call (440) 210-9900.